Briefs

Updated 11:59 pm, Friday, January 4, 2013

ENGLAND

Celibate gay bishops allowed

The Church of England said Friday that gay clergymen in civil partnerships could become bishops as long as they vowed to remain celibate.

The new policy was introduced in December, when the House of Bishops, a body within the church, published a list of recent decisions. One of those was to lift the ban on clergymen in civil partnerships becoming bishops. In 2005, the church ruled that people in civil partnerships could become clergy members, but the ruling did not apply to bishops.

A man with domestic problems fatally shot eight people, including a pregnant woman and two children, after taking alcohol and drugs in a rampage Friday that ended when he was killed police, officials said.

At least eight other people were wounded in the attack near Manila.

Ronald Bae had a "marital problem" with his wife, whom he had left before New Year's, but it was not clear why Bae attacked.